Robert N. Stavins Quotes
The average global temperature has increased by about 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880, with two-thirds of the warming occurring since 1975.
Robert N. Stavins, Environmental Economist, Director of the Environmental Economics Program at the Kennedy School of Government, “Climate Realities”, New York Times, September 21, 2014
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This was his last House debate and whereas almost all scientists had agreed that climate change was a serious challenge to the nation, an ideologically driven majority of his Republican Party denied that that there was any climate change that was different from the usual vicissitudes of nature, he tried to persuade his anti-scientific, conservative colleagues to face reality.
The governor actually believed that global warming was the plot of left wingers. Since 99 percent of all qualified scientists agreed that the earth was experiencing an increase in average temperature and that much of the increase was cause by the actions of humans, Perry had to believe that somehow all these scientists had been coopted, intimidated, and enlisted to perpetrate this hoax. One problem with global warming policy making is that while virtually all scientists agree on the fact, there is disagreement of the extent, the timing and the causes. How many degrees of increase will occur and when? What will be the consequences? When will the changes take place? What proportion is man-made? These answers will come as more research is done, but many politicians are reluctant to do anything without precise estimates of the answers to these questions.
He had been a vigerous global warming skeptic for some theoretical reasons having to do with how the theormometers measured temperature. He and his daughter put together a project to examine most of the data and make what he thought was a proper analysis. A significant part of his funding came from the ultra-conservative billionaire, Charles Koch who also funded the anti-global warming Heartland Institute. However, after Muller and his daughter finished their analysis, he surprised most and angered Koch, with this statement. The data had changed his mind.
